If there’s any way to make homemade gluten free zucchini bread better, it’s to make it better FOR you!
Not that you’d ever know that this moist and flavorful quick bread was healthy in any way. There are little flecks of green dotted throughout, giving away the fact that this is zucchini bread, of course, but most of us have long since lost any hang-ups we might have had in thinking of zucchini bread as health food.
Of course I have other gluten free zucchini bread recipes (even one with pumpkin AND zucchini and another with chocolate, coffee AND zucchini) — and I love them! — but this one is fun too, especially knowing I can have extra extra slices because of the extra extra nutrition tucked inside from the secret ingredients.
What secret ingredients? you would be justified in asking.
Peas or lentils! Now before you turn up your nose at the thought, I promise you’d never know! They are cooked up and puréed, then added to the bread batter for moisture, vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein.
I give lots of other options with this recipe — you know I love to give options! — so it’s easy to make this recipe vegan and to use what you’ve got in the fridge. So no excuses! I hope you get to try this recipe one day soon, and I hope you love it! Remember, you can always still make one of my other gluten free zucchini bread recipes, or any other zucchini recipe on my site. There are so many options!!!
I’ve never been opposed to increasing fiber, protein, vitamins, and complex carbs in my foods, but only where the end result is a dish that’s just as yummy, moist and aftertaste-free as it would have been without the nutritional boost.
So without further ado, I present to you the peas & lentils recipe that intrigued you the most: Gluten Free Veggie Zucchini Bread!
Gluten Free Veggie Zucchini Bread
What could make homemade gluten free zucchini bread better? Making it even better FOR you!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup granulated cane sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter or non-dairy alternative (e.g. Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks
- 2 large eggs or egg substitute (like 1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas, apple puree or applesauce, or canned pumpkin)
- 1/2 cup sour cream (dairy or non-dairy sour cream OR plain coconut or soy yogurt like So Delicious®)
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup split pea purée
- 2 cups gfJules™ Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
- 2 Tbs. flaxseed meal (optional, or use gfJules Flour)
- 1 Tbs. cinnamon
- 1 Tbs. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 2 cups packed fresh zucchini, unpeeled and grated (approximately 1 1/2 zucchini squash)
- 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
- Cinnamon-sugar mixture to sprinkle on top
Instructions
Measure and rinse 1/2 cup dried split peas. Add to a large saucepan with 1 1/4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Then reduce to simmer, cover and continue to cook for approximately 30 minutes, or until the peas are quite soft, but not falling apart. Drain, then purée, using a food processor, blender or a potato masher. Add water by tablespoons to purée if necessary to thin it — peas should be the consistency of canned pumpkin when done.
Measure out 1/2 cup of purée for the recipe and if there is any remaining, cover and refrigerate for use in other recipes — it will keep for 3-4 days or longer, if frozen.
To prepare the bread:
Preheat oven to 350° F (static) or 325° F (convection).
Beat the sugar and butter until fluffy, then add the eggs or egg substitute, sour cream, vanilla and cooled pea purée – mix well.
Sift together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then pour slowly into the wet ingredient bowl and beat together until integrated. Fold in the zucchini and nuts, if using. The batter will be fairly stiff.
Oil one loaf pan and scoop batter into pan, then smooth with a rubber spatula. If using mini loaf pans, oil 5-6 pans; if using muffin tins, oil 24 muffin tins. Fill each no more than one-half full, then sprinkle the tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Bake large loaf for 50-55 minutes; mini loaf pans for 30-35 minutes; muffins for 20-30 minutes. Test the middles with a toothpick to be sure they are cooked through before removing to cool on a wire rack. Do not overbake!
Don’t forget to pin for later!
My husband loves this! Since I am gluten-free, now we can both enjoy! Thanks!
My dad always planted zucchini in his garden, which I was responsible for picking. The problem was mom’s preparing the squash: it was always over-cooked and slimy (the only food I’ve ever gagged on). If the wee green tubes grew good and big she would frown as I proudly brought the massive veggie-logs into the house. “You know that when they’re that big I can only use them for zucchini bread, Davie.” Mission Accomplished. Now I know how to put this delicious ingredient into all sorts of dishes, but the bread is still my favourite, especially with a Silly-Yak daughter. She & I will enjoy this recipe this very morn (adapting the ingredient to last season’s grated/frozen produce), using our favourite GF flour!
I love to try your recipes. Can’t wait until zucchini hits the farmers market!
Looks so good. Haven’t had zucchini bread since I lived in Michigan. I think it was a staple item there. An added bonus is the vegetables and legumes to this treat!
This recipe sounds great. I can’t wait to try it out.
Would love to try your delicious sounding lentil bread and any other recipes you have given, they sound so good! JH
I’m absolutely trying this recipe. We have zucchini coming out our ears in our garden. LOL!
Grandson has celiacs so always looking for something good…heading out today to try this bread. Thanks
Can’t wait to try this recipe when all the zucchini starts arriving from the neighbors at the end of summer.
Jules, This recipe sounds really interesting. I can’t wait to try it out.
Will we need beano with the bread? Maybe not the ladies but surely a few husbands will. I am looking forward to making this soon when zucchini is abundant and the temp goes down to 90 degrees!!! Increasing whole nutrition and fiber always gets me excited! It is so dern hot rigth now for June 1—crazy. Good thing I am not hot flashin’if y’all know what I mean.
This recipe looks great! I will most certainly have to give it a try!
Sounds great, will give it a try with some dried zucchini from last year.
I absolutely love learning about new recipes and this looks absolutely yummy. I don’t know what I would do without this beloved gluten free website. x0x0
What a great idea!! This wonderful bread would be an ideal breakfast after a long run! Great work and creativity Jules!!
I love zucchini bread and look forward to trying this!
i love this recipe for all its options (for dairy, eggs) even though i’m an ovo-lacto gluten-free vegetarian, as times goes on i seem to be sliding towards veganism. simply because…why not??
thanks for this recipe!
Love seeing gluten free recipes that taste good
Grandson grows zucchini so we enjoy that recipe alot can’t wait to try the others. Thanks
Ooooh, thank you! I love zucchini bread and this sounds delicious!
Since being diaglosed with Celiac Disease my greatest challenge has been baking GF. I appreciate these recipes so much as it helps me overcome a lot of trial and error.